


He is the Heart

by aurumdalseni (kyo_chan)



Series: Voltron Five Times Kissed [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Hunk is loved, platonic paladins - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 18:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10471470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyo_chan/pseuds/aurumdalseni
Summary: Hunk is the paladin that helps hold them all up, but sometimes he needs to be reminded just how much he's cared about in return. [A "Five Times Kissed" ficlet (gen/non romantic)]





	

**Author's Note:**

> From my 50 Follower Event over on [tumblr](paladinpuppypile.tumblr.com) ~ Five Times Kissed
> 
> A lovely anon requested platonic Hunk/Paladins. Hope you enjoy!

1.

Downtime was a precious commodity among the paladins, and while Hunk usually chose to spend most of his in the kitchen finding new and better ways to keep them fortified, there came a point where he adopted a much different mission. It involved a little bit of stealth and a lot of working around Pidge’s crazy -- or rather non-existent -- sleep schedule. The Castle of lions was full of all sorts of nooks, crannies, secret chambers, hidden control panels and some very weird tech. Hunk felt certain that somewhere in what they’ve come to affectionately call the lounge, there was something he could use to accomplish his goal. It took him days of interruptions, failed connections, a couple of shocks. But finally, he got it. It had only required he jerry-rig two different types of ports and run a series of wires to one of the main view screens, but it worked.

Operation Killbot Phantasm 1 was a go.

He ushered Pidge into the room while the opening credits are still going, the nostalgic digital tones amplified over the ship’s glorious audio tech. She knew right away what it was, and her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. It gave Hunk a warm rush of satisfaction, especially considering that none of them had really smiled like that since this whole crazy adventure of theirs started. Therefore, he held onto how she looked in that moment of realization, and his expression was warmly pleased in return. She attached to him with squawked thank-yous and tight hugs, which he gently accepted but also tried to gently push off. He would rather she be fawning over the game she’d been waiting to play than over him. He sat her down on one of the sofa seats and plopped down next to her, handing her a remote. 

With one last delighted squeal, she leaned over to peck him on the cheek and gleefully jammed her thumb into the start button.

2.

“Hunk?” 

Allura stepped into the yellow lion’s hangar, relieved to find him sitting against a massive front paw, lost in thought. Concern knotted her brow and she stepped over to him.

“We missed you at dinner,” she continued, getting his attention at last. 

“Sorry,” he answered with a sheepish smile. 

“Did something happen during your battle today?” Allura gathered her skirts and settled down next to him. Her jewel-toned gaze swept about the hangar, taking it and its occupants in with much fondness before she finally focused completely on Hunk.

“No, not really.” Hunk sighed, drawing his knees up to his chest. He looked small against his lion’s claws. “I guess I just...sometimes I feel pretty useless.”

“Useless?” Allura blinked at him, tilting her head. “Why would you say that?”

“C’mon, princess, everyone else is always so ready to go whenever they’re needed. They want to fight, they’re  _ good _ at it. All I’m really good at is being a leg and worrying about everything that could go wrong.”

“But that’s very important, Hunk. If you didn’t worry about the consequences, how would we keep from rushing blindly into bad situations?”

Hunk raised an eyebrow at her, as if that wasn’t what they did on a fairly regular basis. 

She tried again. “Just because you don’t want to fight, it doesn’t make you useless, Hunk. Remember what I told you the day we met? The paladin of the yellow lion must have a mighty heart. I’m not saying the others don’t feel, but they don’t feel the way you do. You are the heart of the team as much as, if not more so, than merely a leg.” 

Hunk’s eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t know if my heart is what it’s gonna take to defeat Zarkon. No offense.” 

Allura sighed, but her fond smile had returned. “I’m going to tell you a little secret. Are you ready?” At Hunk’s nod, she leaned in conspiratorially, as if someone might overhear even though it was just the two of them and Yellow. “The yellow paladin before you was my father.”

“What?” Hunk jerked back, flustered. “I-I’m...I mean. King Alfor was...he piloted Yellow? I’m driving the  _ King’s _ lion?! I guess I thought...I mean, I expected him to be Red’s pilot or something.” 

Allura chuckled. “The former red paladin was also brave and strong, but his temper was every bit as mercurial as Keith’s. No, my father was a leg of Voltron, just like you. And his legacy lives on in you.” She reached out and touched his knee. “You are compassionate and warm. You are the great foundation of stone upon which the others lean when their spirits are weak. You hold them up, you shield them. Yes, you worry a great deal, and often shy away from the fight, but those can be admirable traits. My father always said that good leadership, good paladins, cannot grow without understanding fear and questioning choices. Most importantly, your heart seeks peace, as my father’s did. That was all he ever wanted, to bring peace back to the world he so loved.” 

Once more, Allura looked around the hangar, smiling sadly up at Yellow before she reached out to touch his knee. “You will never be useless. You are a part of us.” Her eyes were wet. “He would have loved to meet you, Hunk, to know that someone like you is following in his footsteps.” She leaned over and kissed his temple. 

Hunk’s jaw hung open; he was speechless. Without warning, he shifted to throw his arms around Allura, pulling her to him so tightly she winced. But she didn’t mind at all. That was a strength she appreciated as well. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“No, Hunk, thank  _ you _ . I know how badly you wish to return home, and I would like nothing more than to take you there.”

“I’ll see this through, Allura. I promise.” And when he said it, she knew he meant it.

3.

They were in a casino of some sort, if the wide range of tables with low lights and stacked gems were any indication. Some of them had cards and some of them had dice and Lance wondered just what other kinds of things they would be able to find in outer space that reminded him of home. He stuck close to Hunk, keeping his fingers twisted in the sleeve of his coat as they threaded through thick crowds of aliens who seemed to be in just as much of a hurry to lose their wages as humans were back at home. 

Coran led the way, and Lance thought it was funny how all their encounters with black market deals and shady gambling establishments all seemed to have to do with the princess’s royal advisor. He wouldn’t dare say it to Coran’s face, of course. But he had to admit that there was a strange sense of admiration to be found in following his lead. They did get into some interesting places and walk out with what they needed. 

They paused at the back of the casino and Coran turned to them. 

“Now, you two stay out here, and don’t wander off. The last thing we need is the two of you gambling away your bayards or some other such nonsense. I’m going to have a little chat with the head of this fine establishment and be back with you in just a few ticks.”

“Yeah, sure Coran, we’ll stay right here,” Lance said distractedly as he watched an attractive server walk by. It seemed that tight clothing, nice curves and a tray of drinks was a source of refreshment in outer space too. Nice. He was thinking about following xir, and when Coran disappeared behind some curtain, he straightened his jacket and turned to go. 

“What are you doing?” Hunk asked, grabbing his arm. “Coran told you to stay here.”

“He also said he’d be back in a few ticks, and we both know Coran. We’ll be lucky if he makes it back out here in a dobash. I’m just gonna...see what this place has to offer. Besides, what if there’s another way to get our hands on that secla-whatever it is he needs to fix the ship?”

“I don’t think you’re going to find it on that drink tray, Lance,” Hunk said flatly, but he had a feeling it wasn’t going to do any good. 

Lance was already tailing the server. Like most situations, Hunk looked between the door and Lance’s retreating back as if he were trying to decide the lesser of two evils, huffed out a long-suffering sigh, and went after his best friend.

Fortunately for Hunk, once Lance had caught up to the server, it was by one of the random card tables, and he was chatting xir up. When it looked like xe wasn’t going to punch Lance in the face or call for some kind of security, Hunk started to watch the actual game instead, wondering if it was like anything they played back home. He lost track of how much time he stood there, intently focused on course of the hands being dealt. It really didn’t seem that difficult… In fact--

“There you are!”

Hunk nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to Coran with a guilty expression. “Y-yeah, um, sorry, Coran. We just...wanted to look at the games while you were gone. Yeah.” Lance had the server on his lap and was entertaining xir with some kind of stupid story that was probably an exaggerated adventure from the Garrison. At least he wasn’t in trouble yet, but Coran… “Did you get what we needed? Can we go?”

“Ummm, not exactly. You see, they want us to gamble for the part that we need, and I’m afraid I’ve never been good at this game. Sooooo it looks like we’re going to have to pull back and figure out another way to get it.”

“Wait, you mean we came all the way out to this place for nothin’?” Lance sputtered. Nice of him to rejoin them. 

“No, wait,” Hunk said, looking over at the table again. He watched the next hand go around the table, and his eyes narrowed. The next deal came. He counted. A smirk broke out over his face when he got it right. “I think I can do this.”

“What? You’ve only just learned it today!” Coran flailed.

“And if I’m wrong, we’ll just have to run really fast. But trust me and give me your GAC for an opening bid.” 

Lance leaned in and kissed his cheek with a nervous laugh. He was probably getting ready to run. “Y’know, for luck.”

Hunk grinned and sat at the table to be dealt in. The luck was nice to have, but he wasn’t going to need it.

4.

“All right, now come right under and swing up! Good! Backstep, there are more coming. Get ready.” 

Keith’s voice was like a rock, a steady presence on the training deck, and one Hunk knew wouldn’t lead him astray. He was winded, sweat pouring down the sides of his face, but he kept at it, meeting the blows of the next gladiator head on and blocking the way Keith had shown him. Some of this was reminiscent of his basic training at the Garrison, but even tough, old Iverson hadn’t been this intense during a spar. He was probably still on a level one setting, but he didn’t care, he hadn’t been knocked off his feet once. 

Keith prowled the perimeter of the training deck, his eyes tired, but focusing entirely on Hunk and his progression through the battle. He continued to call out commands and offensive maneuvers, Hunk missing a few but not going down without a fight. He let himself move to the words and tried to rely on his instinct, feeling solid on his feet. The tightness in his gut was determination instead of nausea, and that was definitely a welcome change.

It was almost anticlimactic when a solid right hook finally felled the gladiator, which landed in a heap at his feet. The room went quiet.

“Is that--is that it?” he asked warily, looking around himself as if he expected another one to come up from some crack in the floor and knock him around a bit. After some of the raining he’d done with Coran and Allura, he could hardly be blamed. 

“Yeah, that’s it,” Keith replied, finally approaching. “Good job, buddy, you did great.” He reached out and clasped Hunk’s hand, pulling him into a tight, yet awkward hug. Hunk knew that it was a big deal, and Keith didn’t even seem to care that he was hot and sweaty. The red paladin nuzzled at his ear, a quick movement that was more catlike than anything else. Hunk bit his tongue against some kind of comment that Galra were just oversized housecats and instead focused on the fact that it was nice to know he’d managed to keep up with Keith. The slowest of the paladins managing to stay on track with one of the fastest. It was a good day.

“Thanks, Keith,” he said, and he meant it, nuzzling back. He didn’t stop himself from planting a kiss on Keith’s jaw, chuckling a little at the bewildered expression keith had when he pulled back.

“Y-yeah, sure. C’mon, you need to hit the showers, and then we can get some lunch.”

5.

It was subtle, but Shiro noticed it. It was easy to lose track of time out in space, but most of them had some way of tracking it, and sometimes Shiro didn’t measure it in time so much as he measured it in growth. He and the other paladins were no doubt growing while they were working to stop the corruption of the Galra empire. Their days were filled with training, some of their jokes got darker but their bonds got stronger. Lance and Keith got more wiry and nimble on the training deck, Pidge got quicker and more responsive. Shiro also noticed that Hunk was changing, though much of it had to do with his confidence, and that was just as important. 

One morning, he happened to catch Hunk staring at his reflection in the glass of one of the viewing deck windows. Thinking he was alone, he had his jacket slung over one shoulder, and his other arm flexed to show off a thick bicep. Hunk seemed surprised at what he saw, but Shiro really wasn’t. He smiled to himself and came up behind him.

“Lookin’ good, Hunk,” he praised, bending to drop a kiss on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

Hunk glanced back at him, and it was pretty obvious that was something he needed to hear that day. He leaned back against Shiro and let out a sigh.”Thanks, Shiro.”


End file.
